


Shroud Yourself in Darkness

by Rainbow_Transform



Series: Time Flies Past [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Anti-Team Cap, Because this just popped into my head, But I've gotta write about it, But it doesn't mean I'm going easy on any of them, Gen, He got the New Avengers, He learned it from trying things out with Peter, I hate the ex-Avengers, Obviously if you can tell from the tags, So I'm writing it, Some people don't wanna read the tags, Team Iron Man, Team Tony, The ex-Avengers, Then get angry if Tony tries to tell them to stop, They think they're above the law, Tony Stark is like a father, Tony actually has a real family, Tony don't need them, Who doesn't tear down his self-esteem, it's a series now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-03 15:03:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11534679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbow_Transform/pseuds/Rainbow_Transform
Summary: The ex-Avengers haven't had the best of luck in New York.(AKA: Five times the ex-Avengers were called out on their crap; and the one time they did it themselves.)





	1. Sam Wilson

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back! ^.^ 
> 
> Enjoy the new story and sorry if it seems OOC.

_Sam Wilson_

Sam likes to think he’s done good. Followed Captain America fighting for freedom from Ross. Keeping Steve’s friend safe (because Steve needed Bucky; just like Bucky needed Steve.) (That’s what Steve says; Bucky’s still in his cryo-sleep.)

 

But, right now, with a ten-year-old boy glaring at him, shifting his three-year-old sister out of the way, Sam wasn’t so sure.

 

“Stay away!” The boy screamed, trying to figure out a clean way out of there, without having to leave by Sam’s wings.  _(And it hurts. God does it hurt.)_ The boy’s fingers twitch and Sam shifts closer before he realizes it was the wrong move and the baby girl’s wails fill the air.

 

They’re trapped on a tall building, and Sam was told to go help them because Tony wasn’t there; and Sam’s one who could fly. (  _“Wanda can’t handle that kind of stress. She’d be devastated if anything happens to those kids, Sam.”_ )

Sam wants to calm the kids down, but when he got a bit closer, the boy lashed out. He flew toward Sam, fists outstretched and eyes closed. The boy opened his eyes just as he looked downward at the stretch of pavement beneath him. Then he began to fall. ( _The screams. Oh, god, his scream. And Tony’s yell._ )

 

Sam stared for a moment before stretching his wings out and diving after the boy. His screams filled the air and Team Cap gasped. ( _He’s not going to make it. Oh, god. Oh, god. A shot to the chest, and Sam spins away!_ ) The sister’s screams had trailed off and instead she was wailing even more now.

 

The boy seems to finally stop before closing his eyes, accepting Death.  _(Sam turns and continues flying. If Tony won’t let him help; then he won’t help.)_

 

Then a red-gold suit swooped in and grabbed the kid. The boy grunted before recognizing the cold armor beneath him and curled tighter against Iron Man. Tony flew upwards, right toward the boy’s sister, who made grabbing motions at her brother.

 

Tony set down the child, and the boy started to cry. “Wait here,” Tony told the Avengers, ice lacing through his voice. 

 

“We’re going to have a chat.” Tony picks up the children and flies away, and Steve tells Sam good job anyway. “You tried your best,” he says, gently patting Sam’s shoulder. ( _But he didn’t. He just flew away when he’d realized that Tony had shot him and went after Rhodey. He should have gone after him, too. Instead, Sam kept flying._ )

* * *

Tony comes back an hour later. He steps out of his armor and Sam has to look away. ( _He looks so healthy now_.)

 

Tony gives Steve a tongue-lashing first, refusing to allow him to even tell his side of the story. Next, he gives a severe “don’t say a word” look at Wanda and Clint. He turns to Scott next before tilting his head, and leaves him alone before turning to Sam.

 

“You! You  _know_  your wings are too slow,  _especially_ if you wait twenty-two seconds to save a falling kid. Did you know what could’ve happened when the kid hit the ground? He’s be  _dead_ , Wilson. Dead!” Tony takes a deep breath.

 

“It isn’t like when Rhodey got hit and fell. Rhodey had armor, and even _then_ he still got paralyzed.  Kids have instincts and siblings to protect. They are not casualties; like Rogers says. They aren’t soldiers. They are children with parents waiting at home for them. So next time you want to be a hero, save yourself the trouble. I’ve -  _we’ve_  - got everything covered from Earth to the next territory over.”

 

And Sam’s eyes fell; and he felt a familiar tug of guilt building in his stomach. He can’t even look at Steve right now; because he remembers Steve’s words before they entered the area. ( _“There are some dead. We’re suppose to take them back to their families. So, gather as many as you can and go. Some of them will be left behind; some will be causalities. But that’s okay.”)_

 

Tony turns his head around for a moment before looking back at the Avengers. “Don’t try to play hero when New York’s got plenty of them.” Tony steps back into Iron Man and flies away. 

 

(Sam had nightmares that night. That Rhodey dies, and Tony is so angry and crying and hurt and Sam  _doesn’t know what to think anymore._ )


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe that Thor would be neutral in the argument, but also he'd realize that Tony helped them in so many ways. 
> 
> So he'd be with Tony if they needed to choose a side.
> 
> Seriously. Anyone can fight me on this, Thor knows what it's like to be cast out. He knows you can't go against the government (or 'Allfather') and get off scot-free.

_Wanda Maximoff_

She’s trying to train when she feels someone behind her. She goes through her motions, breathing quietly in and out before lashing out with her power, snatching up the person. 

 

Wanda smirks to herself, before turning to greet the person who’d thought it was a good idea to sneak up on the Scarlet Witch. Then, she stops, mouth agape. 

 

It’s a man who is just right of her. Her powers missed him by a centimeter. ( _And she hears something, deep within her heart. It’s ringing, like a phone would._ )

 

It’s Thor. Wanda smiles tightly, and calls out a hello. Thor’s not smiling. 

 

Instead, he’s lazily swinging his hammer in his hands. It’s a quiet thing, Wanda almost misses how Thor’s hands still as though he wanted to slam the hammer down.

 

“Witch,” Thor greets and Wands flinches. She stops, swallowing, before flicking her eyes away from Thor’s intense gaze.

 

“Why do you insist on being a child?” Thor asks suddenly and Wanda feels her blood roaring behind her ears. “Is being an Avenger not enough? Must you have the title of child, too?” 

 

Wanda straightens. “I’m an Avenger,” she corrects. 

 

“You are a spoiled child, Witch.”

 

Wanda wants to just throw Thor across the room. ( _But there’s ringing in her ears. Because she just found out her brother’s gone. Back to their parents, Death claimed her family._ ) Instead, Wanda moves to leave before Thor blocks her.

 

“The Captain may have accepted you; and Midguard might have. But I am not stupid like my shield brothers and sisters.” Thor leans closer, staring at Wanda with hatred sparkling in his eyes, and she swears she heard thunder.

 

“My new shield brothers and sisters do not believe the ‘ex-Avengers’ have changed. Especially when it comes to Tony Stark.” Thor blinks before turning away.

 

“You are not a child, nor are you an Avenger. Do not assume that I’m going to forgive you,” he pauses in the doorway before turning to look at the witch.

 

“You made Man of Green come out and destroy things. I don’t believe that qualifies you as ‘hero,’” and Thor left Wanda, alone in her thoughts.

 

That night, Wanda dreams of her brother. Pietro’s always smiling and grinning before it turns into him, lying dead with bullet holes inside of him. And Wanda’s screaming, and screaming, and suddenly it’s her parents and Pietro.

 

_And Wanda remembers. She remembers the powers she’d used to get into Tony Stark’s brain; the Hulk’s. She remembers everything._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: I'm going in vacation for a couple of days so I won't be able to update 
> 
> I'm sorry, guys. :( I'll be back in a week, tops. But I'll still be able to comment and see what's going on.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might make some people mad, but I switched Tasha. She left Tony first, joined Team Stupid, then realized the mistake and rejoined Team Tony. 
> 
> Tony forgave her, Pepper and everyone else, not so much until she'd managed to warn them of how Team Stupid will act and such. 
> 
> So, Tasha's back with Team Tony (because that's where she belongs.) 
> 
> It will get people mad, I believe but *shrug* YOLO 
> 
> Enjoy, guys! ;)

_Clint Barton_

He’s trying to smooth things over with Wanda and himself. It hasn’t been the best since Thor went to speak with her (he’d need to have a huge talk with him.) She’s distant, and more in control of her powers than before ( _before she was good, before her brother went away_.)

 

Steve’s watching her watch the HYDRA agent they’d captured. The agent grinned at her, and spoke quickly. “Scarlet Witch,” he purred. “Aren’t you pretty in your new Avenger uniform! Don’t you just love those colors? Though, I prefer my own.” He said, referring to the outfit he has on.

 

“You liked it once, too.” The agent told her. Wanda’s fingers twitched and Clint saw the red energy. ( _Something moves in the corner of his eye; and he moves quickly to snatch the girl’s arm_.) 

 

Wanda looks at Steve who looks at the HYDRA agent. 

 

“Go ahead,” Steve prompts and Wanda’s eyes begin glowing. Clint has to bite his lips, because he doesn’t know if Wanda will lose control and kill the guy, or not. The agent begins thrashing in his seat, mouth opened in a silent scream and Wanda’s eyes reopen.

 

“He knows everything. We’ve captured the second-in-command’s minion.” Wanda sneers and Steve smiles. 

 

“Anything else?” Clint asks, walking by the agent. 

 

“Something hidden. I can’t get in it without breaking the walls he’d build up.” Wanda explains and Clint looks over at Steve who just nodded. Clint turned to Wanda. 

 

“Do it.” He commands and Wanda smiles. ( _The girl can’t be older that at least twenty-three. She looks scared._ ) 

 

Clint watches Wanda delve deep into the agent’s mind and the agent begins to look scared. Clint looks on, a spy expression on his face, before he hears a boy’s scream behind him. He whirls around to see his kids standing in the room; staring in horror at the man. 

 

“Guys! What’re you doing here?!” Clint exclaims as Wanda stops digging into the Hydra agent’s mind. 

 

“Mom dropped us off,” Cooper said, covering his brother’s eyes. “She said that the court said you’d have to see us for at least a day a week.” 

 

Nathaniel blinks owlishly at Wanda and Steve. Lila looks scared and Clint nods. 

 

“Let’s go get ice cream!” Clint says, trying to act excited when his two eldest children are glaring at him with malice. ( _What did he do wrong? Cooper and Laura love him, don’t they?_ )

* * *

 

It’s when Clint goes into the kitchen and pulls Cooper’s favorite ice cream out of the freezer when he speaks. 

 

“The guy’s a bad guy,” Clint says, offhandedly scooping ice cream into bowls. “He’s been helping some real bad guys. Wanda’s trying to help us get the other bad guys that he’s working with.”

 

Cooper and Laura begin eating their ice cream slowly. Nathaniel is playing with his; and Clint’s just watching his kids. ( _Cooper grew up so fast; Lila’s hair had a pink stripe in it. Nathaniel’s gotten more teeth. How did he miss this?_ )

 

“How’s your mom?” Clint asks, staring at Nathaniel, remembering how they wanted to name him Natasha (after Tasha; before she’d betrayed them and left to go back to Stark.)

 

“She’s fine,” Cooper says lips tight. “Missing you,” Lila says. ( _That’s a lie. Clint notices Lila’s fingers twitch._ ) 

 

“How’s Nathaniel doing?” Clint says, cooing over his son. Cooper and Lila exchange a look over his head before Lila sighs. “Nathaniel isn’t Nathaniel anymore.” Cooper explains before Clint jerks upward. 

 

“What?” 

 

“Nathaniel isn’t Nathaniel.”

 

“Why?”

 

Lila bites her lip and Cooper sighs.

 

“Nathaniel wants to be a Natasha.” 

 

Clint blinks. Nathaniel - Natasha - stares at him with wide owl eyes and grins at his - her - siblings. 

 

“Oh,” he says quietly.

* * *

 

It’s late at night when Clint gets a phone call from Laura. 

 

“What do you think you’re doing?! Allowing your children to see Wanda using her powers to get inside a guy’s mind?! After all she’s done?!” Laura snarled through the phone and Clint wants to listen to her all day.

 

“It’s fine, Laura. They’re bigger and they need to understand that their father isn’t a farmer.”

 

“How  _dare_ you! After everything that happened, you think that is the most important thing? Tasha was right, she should have never Rogers and Barnes go.”

 

“How can you think like that, Laura? Rogers was  _right_.”

 

“ _TONY WAS RIGHT! AT LEAST HE HAD TO DECENCY TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY AND SCOTT’S FAMILY HIDDEN FROM ROSS_!” 

 

“Wait, what?” Clint asks before Laura ends the call.

 

_And Clint’s heart hurts. Clint doesn’t know why, but he feels like that was the last time he’d ever see his children._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Nathaniel became Natasha. Basically, what I imagined was that Natasha (Nathaniel) is old enough to know what he wants to be assigned as (female, male, non binary). 
> 
> So, Tasha's proud when she revisits Laura and sees that little baby Nathaniel had become little toddler/child Natasha. (She obviously takes her out to buy new clothes; and Tony helps, too. (Tony basically like, changes Natasha's birth certificate to say 'girl' because he knows that the school system will go by the birth certificate; not what the kid says.))
> 
> Key:
> 
> Tasha - Natasha Romanioff
> 
> Natasha - Nathaniel Barton
> 
> I know I got a little confused above and I wrote it. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy.

Scott knew he didn’t make the right choice. He was blindsided by Captain America coming and asking him to fight. Who wouldn’t say yes? 

 

But Scott forgot his daughter and his new family. Hope didn’t call him when Scott returned, and Cassie didn’t come visit him. He called by Maggie’s once but there was a heated argument from the phone with his daughter and Maggie so he just hung up. ( _“Daddy, save us!” and Scott did._ )

 

He did something horrible; and so wrong that not even his daughter wanted to see him anymore. ( _He’s shrinking again. He wonders if he will see Cassie again._ )

 

And Scott wished the time would turn backwards and he’d have said no. Or, at least, gone with Stark’s team. But Hank always told him not to trust a Stark. Why did Scott listen? ( _There’s a woman. She’s staring at Scott with a unbelievable expression._ )

 

Scott wants his daughter and he wishes he could go over, but he doesn’t want Cassie to hide in her room, or have to listen to Maggie’s voice arguing with Jim if she should drag Cassie out of her room, like she’d threatened to do if Cassie didn’t speak to her father. ( _The woman is speaking, but Scott can’t hear anything._ )

 

Instead, Scott stays in the Avengers Compound with Scarlet Witch, and the other Avengers. They seem okay, but something’s missing. They aren’t quite like the well-oiled machine Scott sees on the television. They argue, and fight, and Scott swears Hawkeye stole his sandwich and disappeared in a vent. ( _The woman shakes her head with anger. She kinda looks like Hope. Or Hope looks like her. Is this her mother?_ )

* * *

 

 

Scott almost cries when he answers his cell phone to hear Cassie’s voice. 

 

“Hi, Daddy,” she says, voice quiet.

 

“Hi, Peanut.”

 

“What’re you doing?”

 

“Just sitting around.”

 

“Why did you do it?”

 

“I made a mistake.”

 

“Do you regret it?”

 

“With all my heart.”

 

“Good,” and she hangs up.

* * *

 

 

It’s only a few days later when Scott gets himself a job. (He doesn’t want to leach off of the Avengers anymore.) Cassie comes to visit. She’s thirteen now and Scott doesn’t try to hug her. He knows she won’t let him.

 

Cassie sits, straight and prim, in front of the couch and Scott sits across from her, passing over a Coke. 

 

“Would you change anything?” Cassie asks and Scott nods.

 

“I don’t even know why I went, Cassie. It’s... it was Captain America.” Scott bites his lips and he feels blood draw up. He fidgets, pulling down the sleeves of his shirt to cover his scars. 

 

“I thought it was the right thing. But I was wrong.”

 

“Very wrong,” Cassie agrees. “Captain America left Mr Stark is the cold without his suit.”

 

“What?”

 

“Rogers swept a known criminal’s crime under the rug because she wanted to be good. He forgave her; and sympathized with her, yet didn’t allow his own teammate the time for it. He didn’t sign the Accords even when Mr Stark told that if he or anyone else on his team signed then he’d sweep all the crimes under the rug.” 

 

“Cassie,  _what_?” Cassie pauses, an annoyed look on her face before it dawns upon her. 

 

“He never told you?” Cassie whispers. She gets up, and pulls her cell phone out and calls her mother. Scott stays where he is and Cassie rushes out.

 

_And Scott’s head and heart hurts. He feels the ants crawling on his arms and legs and Scott curls up. He could’ve gone home. He shouldn’t have followed Steve Rogers._

_No one should have._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the Steve hate. *burrows deep in my covers*

_Steve Rogers_

He was protecting Bucky. It was as simple as that. If Tony didn’t sign the Accords it would be okay. But he did. And he’d wanted to hurt Buck. ( _“Just follow orders, Tony!”_ )

 

He doesn’t know why Tony thinks Bucky’s bad. Hydra planted the Winter Soldier in Bucky’s mind. That didn’t mean that Tony had to try to kill Bucky. ( _But did he?_ )

 

The Winter Soldier and Bucky Barnes are two different people, Steve knows this. Which is why he’d helped  _Bucky_ , not the Winter Soldier. Steve’s not going to back down just because Tony thinks Bucky killed his parents.  _Bucky_  didn’t. The  _Winter Soldier_  did. How many times would he have to repeat it before Tony realized it?

 

Steve’s in the kitchen when Sharon comes by. He looks up and grins at her. “Your advice worked,” he told her. He steps closer, thinking that maybe he’d like to kiss her. ( _Her lips are warm. Like Peggy’s were. Steve closes his eyes and imagines Peggy._ )

 

Instead, Sharon steps back. She’s looking downright murderous. ( _Kinda like Peggy would’ve looked like, when Steve drove himself into the ice all those years ago._ )

 

“How  _dare_  you?” Sharon hisses and Steve blinks. ( _She even sound like Peggy._ )

 

“What do you mean?” Steve asks. He’s reaching for Sharon’s hand, trying to hold onto her. 

 

“You left Tony. In  _Siberia_. Without a  _Iron Man suit_!” Sharon screeches and glares with rage at Steve. He blinks before turning away from her.

 

“He was going to hurt Bucky,” he tells her. ( _Peggy would’ve understood. Bucky was Peggy’s friend, too._ )

 

“He just watched his parents get murdered! He wasn’t going to take point two seconds and calm down to ‘rationalize’ the situation! He  _didn’t get enough time_! You didn’t let him! You also didn’t tell him. He had a right to know!”

 

Steve closes his eyes, breathing deeply. “Tony tried to kill him.” He explains. ( _Peggy would not have stood for what Tony did. Peggy would stand with Steve._ )

 

Steve turns around, and his head flies to the side. Sharon’s staring at him, anger burning, twisting in her eyes. Flames seem to shoot up; and Steve’s staring. “Tony did what any human being would have done,” Sharon snarled. “Tony did what my aunt would have done!” 

 

Steve shakes his head. “Peggy wouldn’t have done those things. Bucky was her friend, too. And it wasn’t even him, it was the Winter Soldier.” ( _And she wouldn’t. She would stand with him._ )

 

“That doesn’t matter! It was his body, his hands,  _his face_.” Sharon hisses before throwing her hands in the air. “I can’t deal with someone who thinks like this.” 

 

She turns and walks away. She stops at the doorway and says “My aunt was wrong about you. You aren’t a good man.” 

 

“Peggy was right. You’re just like her, you know. And she’d stand by me.”

 

“I’m not my aunt. I stand with my aunt’s godson.”

* * *

Steve kisses Sharon because she reminds him of Peggy. Steve knew it was wrong, but he missed Peggy so much that it hurt. 

 

Sharon doesn’t know that. Steve thought she didn’t. ( _Peggy. Peggy. Peggy._ )

 

Why was Steve cursed to stay here? In this twenty-first century? Why couldn’t he stay with Peggy? ( _Because you drove yourself into that ice, believing you could die. Peggy begged you not to do it, but you did it anyway.)_

 

Steve sits on the couch, thinking of the good times when Peggy was still alive and Bucky wasn’t the Winter Soldier. He wonders why it’s okay for Tony to do everything, but Bucky can’t come back without a trial. ( _You tore apart the Stark family, you know._ )

 

He’s thinking of what Sharon told him, too. That Tony was Peggy’s godson. Does that mean Peggy was there for Tony? Or did Tony push her away like she wasn’t anything? ( _Howard Stark spent years looking for you. Pushed away his son, too._ )

 

Tony probably pushed her away, Steve concludes. He’d rather allow Stane to sell weapons then keep Peggy by his side. ( _“God, I hated you.”_ )

 

Steve thinks Tony’s being a baby. It’s been more than enough time for Tony to deal with his grief of his parents’ death. (It’s been years, Tony should have be done with it.) Tony should allow Bucky to come back. ( _Was that really Howard’s son? And he hated Steve? Wow._ )

 

A thump to the back of Steve’s head makes him turn around to face a mad face of a thirteen-year-old. 

 

“Er... hello?” Steve says, not understanding.

 

“You kept my father away from me.” She claims.

 

“No, I didn’t.” Steve retaliated.

 

“You didn’t tell him about the Accords deal that Mr Stark gave to you.” 

 

“Yes I did.”

 

“Liar.”

 

“I’m not lying.”

 

“My father could have come home. He could have been with me.”

 

“Look, kid, I’m sorry but-”

 

“Instead you let him became a criminal,  _again_.”

 

Steve’s silent.

 

“All to protect  _Bucky Barnes_. Who hurt, injured, and killed  _innocent people_  as  _Bucky Barnes_ , when he was on the run from Hydra. He even tried to kill Tasha!”

 

“He wasn’t himself.” 

 

“So? If he killed my parents, I would have wanted him dead, too.”

 

“But-”

 

“I’m done talking with you.”

 

Steve doesn’t know what to think anymore. He knows he’d rather be with Bucky right now. 

* * *

He goes into his room a while later, only to find an envelope on his bed. He stares at it with a wary expression before opening it. 

 

There’s bills. Food, medical, replacements, airplane tickets. Everything Steve bought using Tony’s money is on the bills. Some are slightly yellowed and some are crisp and new. Steve’s blinking at them wondering why Tony was trying to do this before he sees the note and signature at the bottom.

 

_Dear Rogers,_

_You don’t have to pay it back right away. But we do expect a few hundred dollars per month in order to try to clear the debt away. The receipts are in there, too, so you can do the math. In case you cannot read the money you owe Tony Stark is 145,000,000 dollars for food, replacement furniture, plane tickets, and weapons._

_Signed,_

_Pepper Pots._

_PS: If you wish to discuss this further, consulting hours are between 8 and 5 every other Thursday._

And Steve’s feeling weird. It feels like something’s messing with him. He goes to bed and thinks.

 

_Maybe Steve shouldn't have left._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just think guys. The next chapter will finish this piece off. Are you guys ready? I 'm not. I'm writing this and I don't want it to end. >.<


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sings*
> 
> It's the ending! Oh, yes the ending! 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed our good run! 
> 
> Keep one reading, just continue!
> 
> Let's get it on!

_The ex-Avengers (plus Scott, guest starring Tony, Tasha, Pepper, and Peter)_

 

They work about as well as a teenager who doesn’t want to clean their room. Which means, they don’t. Everyone is doing careful to avoid the Spider hanging in the middle of the room, eyes closed. Pepper had glared at them, once, before hissing “Wake him and you’re dead.”

 

Scott had left them halfway through that week, claiming that he’d rather try to be good instead of being trapped inside a Compound. (“Yes, it’s big. Yes it has things I like. But it’s not  _home_.” was his exact words and Wanda had scoffed.)

 

Tasha joined them once, and looked over the heads. She seemed to be counting, before asking where Ant-Man was. “He left,” Wanda had said, clipped. (She still wasn’t over Tasha leaving them.) “Said this place isn’t his home.” Wanda sighed. (Tasha left and she didn’t come back again.)

 

The Spider doesn’t stir when Steve begins giving orders. But he does begin to open his eyes slightly when Wanda’s magic flies through the air to try and hit the targets around the room. Steve makes them wait until the kid lays his head back down. He’d rather just wake the kid. But Pepper’s actually really scary when she wants to be.

 

The kid wakes up when Steve’s adjusting his wrist brackets, wondering out loud when Tony’s going to give him back his shield.

 

“Never,” the kid supplies, rubbing his eyes.

 

“What?” 

 

“You’re not getting it back.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Tony gave it back to T’Challa.”

 

“ _What_?”

 

“T’Challa came looking for it. Tony gave it back to him.”

 

“T’Challa had my shield. This whole time?”

 

“No.” The kid deadpans, climbing up the web to tug at the end.

 

“When did he get it?”

 

The kid turns to stare at him for a long moment before giving one final tug at the end. Wrapping the web around his wrist, the kid sighs. 

 

“I’m not telling you that. Especially with what you’d been doing.”

 

The kid disappears in the air vents and Steve scowls. Wanda’s magic is flickering just beneath the surface, and Sam keeps spreading his wings back and forth. Clint is rolling an arrow between his hands and biting his lips.

* * *

 

It’s late at night when Steve stumbles out of his room to see his team is sitting around the living room.

 

“Can’t sleep?” Sam asks, slightly hostile. Wanda is using her powers to flip through the channels on the TV. 

 

“Yeah. My brain is going crazy.” 

 

“Maybe you shouldn’t have swept somebody else’s crimes under the rug.” Sam says.

 

“What?”

 

“You swept Bucky and Wanda’s crimes under the rug.” Sam continues. Wanda sits up, and frowns.

 

“But I’m sorry about it,” she says. “And I’m trying to do better.”

 

“Sam. C’mon. Don’t do this.” Clint says, staring at him.

 

“She’s not a baby, Clint. She’s not one of your kids.”

 

“I know that!”

 

“No. Because you and Steve treat her like a child. She sent the Hulk out. She helped make Ultron by fucking with Tony’s mind!”

 

“Tony made Ultron with Bruce. If anyone else is to blame it’s Bruce. He left without even a  _goodbye_!”

 

“You made Wanda attack Vision. You came out of  _retirement_  and made Wanda attack Vision because Tony wanted to  _protect_  her from the press. The press would  _eat_  her alive, Clint Barton, and you didn’t  _care_.”

 

“That’s no-”

 

“Clint,” Steve says, smoothly interjecting himself into the conversation. “We can’t blame Sam for his opinion. He just needs to think a little bit and remember why he fought for us.”

 

“I  _have_  thought about it, actually. I’ve thought about it plenty of times. And I was wrong.”

 

Sam stands up and leaves, but not before tossing back “All of us were wrong.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the ending of "Shroud Yourself in Darkness."
> 
> It's over, isn't it?
> 
> Isn't it?
> 
> Isn't it over?
> 
> *winks* Rebecca Sugar's a genius.


End file.
